Intercity Bridge Championships

Hong Kong Intercity Bridge Championships History
摘自2011年場刊 - 世界橋聯副會長 Patrick CHOY

Quoted from 2011 program book, written by Patrick CHOY (WBF Vice President) The first Intercity Bridge Championships was founded in 1980 which happened as the same year the Chinese Contract Bridge Association (CCBA) was established. 第一屆香港城市橋牌錦標賽始于1980年，當年，亦是中國橋牌協會CCBA正式成立。 Owing to the sensitive nature of the “two-China” issue at a time when the World Bridge Federation (WBF) fully acknowledged “the Republic of China” as a member, other bridge federations shied away from recognizing the status of the newly established CCBA. As a result the CCBA could not participate in any high level international tournament. 因為政治歷史的原因，剛成立之中國橋牌協會CCBA還未被任何國際橋牌聯盟及團體接納認可，當時國際橋聯WBF還保留【中華民國】的會員資格，因此新生之中國橋牌協會CCBA也就無法參加高水平之國際賽事。 Given the blanket support from bridge enthusiasts this part of the world, the Hong Kong Contract Bridge Association (HKCBA) was empowered into organizing an independent international tournament slating it as a traditional competition for Far East and Asia. The Hong Kong Intercity Bridge Championships was born. 在熱心人仕支持下，香港橋牌協會HKCBA決定在香港籌辦一項國際性賽事，並將其辦成遠東及亞洲的一項傳統比賽承接下去，這項賽事命名為【香港城市橋牌錦標賽】。 The initial major hurdle was the necessary financial backing for such an ambitious venture. The late Mr. T.T. Tsui jumped at the chance to show his unconditional support for this important event and given his generous sponsorship, the first Hong Kong Intercity Bridge Championships quickly became a reality in 1980. Almost all the strong teams in Asia, including those from the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and elsewhere participated. Topping it all, the newly established CCBA also sent two strong teams from Beijing and Shanghai. As the host country, Hong Kong fielded its strongest players and as fate would have it, Hong Kong won and became the inaugural champions. 當時遭遇最大的難題就是經費，感謝徐展堂先生，提出了他「包底」的贊助方案，其實亦等同於「包辦」所有經費，1980年的第一屆【香港城市橋牌錦標賽】得以順利舉行。亞洲幾乎所有強隊，包括菲律賓、泰國、新加坡、馬來西亞、日本等，都派隊來港參賽，而剛成立的中國橋牌協會CCBA也派了最強陣容，組成了北京和上海兩支代表隊。當時的北京隊，領隊是蔡公期，顧問是張定令，隊員有丁關根、裘宗滬、周家騮、張定令、趙達遵、林抒；上海隊以朱勇領隊，隊員王俊人、陸玉麟、唐後祖、唐繼祖、李勁、周鐵錨。作為東道主的香港代表隊，也派出了最強陣容，以胡靖作隊長，隊員有周少平、單偉彪、陳子欽、鍾汝瀏、林蔭、秦漢鈴。結果，香港代表隊獲得了首屆比賽團體賽的冠軍。 Sometime before the start of the second Hong Kong Intercity Bridge Championships the following year, a message was relayed from China wishing the organizing committee would consider inviting teams from Taiwan (ROC). The “Republic of China” played well to covet a place in the semi-final of the World Olympiad in 1980, whilst they also won the Far East Bridge Championships in 1981. Given the needed support from various circles, Taiwan sent the teams: “Taipei I” and “Taipei II” to take part in the second Hong Kong Intercity Bridge Championships. 到了1981年，第二屆比賽前夕，組委會收到了來自中國方面非正式的訊息 - 希望組委會邀請台灣方面的代表隊參賽。在1980年舉行的世界奧林匹克橋牌大賽World Olympiad中，【中華民國】代表隊打入四強，1981年的【遠東錦標賽】更勇奪冠軍，代表著亞洲最高水平。在台灣，橋牌運動受到相當大的重視，協會榮譽領導人是何應欽、周至柔，會長是董世芬（台石化董事長），副會長張植鑒（台聚合董事長），委員是沈君山（台灣四大才子）、蔡中曾（台灣首席律師），個個都是響噹噹的人物，而橋協直接受「教育部」管轄，當其時的部長李煥其後還做過「行政院長」。他們對於參加【香港城市橋牌錦標賽】還是心存相當大的顧慮，要知道在當時兩岸同胞從來沒有正式會面，而在體育界兩岸選手還從未在一項賽事中共同出現，同台競技已經超越體育賽事的範疇，上升到了政治高度的層面。經過多方努下之下，最後經台灣「最高當局」的授意及批准，台灣方面傾全力組成台北一隊及二隊參加【第二屆香港城市橋牌錦標賽】。 That same year (1981), China dispatched a team from Shanghai tallying 16 teams in total. The teams were balloted into two groups. The qualifying rounds became a single round robin affair, with the top two teams from each group entering the playoff stage. Perhaps the most interesting highlight occurred in the final qualifying round when Taipei I met the Shanghai team. Under normal circumstances, the match would be over by 21:30 but players from both sides took a long time to ponder every move in their bids and plays. Inevitably, finishing time overran till midnight! To maintain their reputation gained from earlier international events, the Taipei I team finally cracked under pressure and lost to Shanghai. The two best performing teams from the two groups, Shanghai and Taipei I in one, Hong Kong and Taipei II in the other, advanced to the playoff. During the playoff, the teams only needed to compete against the opposing teams from the other group whereas the results from the earlier qualifying rounds in their own group would be added to the final standing. In the playoff stage, Shanghai won both matches against Hong Kong and Taipei II, unfortunately even with their win over Taipei I in the qualifying stage their total Victory Points (VPs) were less than Hong Kong’s. Once again, Hong Kong was the champion with Shanghai, Taipei I, Taipei II rounding up the overall ranking. 當年參賽的台北一隊，是由世界四強及遠東冠軍成員組成，隊長：張植鑒，隊員包括亞洲橋牌界的泰山北斗，十六歲就代表【中華民國】出賽的世界亞軍黃光輝，還有郭哲宏、涂亞平、沈君山、張英村及張漢圳；而台北二隊則由蔡中曾領軍，隊員：戴明芳、林憲助、方曙、陳光。大陛方面就派出國家隊班底組成的上海隊，領隊是沈家麟，隊員有王俊人、陸玉麟、唐後祖、唐繼祖、周唯親。此次參賽還包括由楊少燕領軍的世界女子冠軍美國隊共十六隊。比賽以抽簽分兩組，單循環，最好成績的兩隊入決賽。上海跟台北一隊在同一組，所以在開賽不久，歷史性一刻出現了，上海隊對陣台北一隊，兩岸選手第一次碰面，盡量都顯得拘謹、緊張。組委會採取了內緊外鬆的原則，將雙方的比賽安排了在封閉的環境中進行，與此同時，在場外安排了大劇場及大屏幕投影，通過了固定電話的口述，現場進行了最為原始的直播，這絕對算得上是保存紀念意義的經典直播，劇場內外滿是關切的人群及媒體，當時還邀請了英國橋牌大師路吉士進行了現場評述。兩隊的牌手打得非常慎重，本來應該是晚上九點半結束的比賽，打到深夜十二點，出乎意料地，壓力過大的台北一隊竟然敗給了初生之犢不怕虎的上海隊。初賽結果，上海、台北一及另一組的香港、台北二出線，決賽每隊只跟另一組出線的兩隊各打一場，與同組出線隊伍在初賽的成績帶進決賽。最後結果也是出乎意料，上海雖然三場都勝利，但在「勝分Victory Point (VPs)」上落後於香港。結果冠軍是香港，亞軍上海，季軍台北一隊。香港隊的成員是：葉秀石、陳子欽、陳恆昌、徐正延、林蔭、秦漢鈴。 After that year, the World Bridge Federation (WBF) adopted the interpretation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) renaming the entry of the “Republic of China” as “Chinese Taipei” for future international bridge tournaments. In 1983, the CCBA formed the China National Team making their debut in the Far East Bridge Championships later that year. From this fortuitous beginning, China has now become a formidable and integral force of all World Bridge Championships. 經過那一年後，世界橋牌聯盟WBF參與及採納了國際奧委會的模式，將兩地納入了同一個體系，【中華民國】也更名為【中華台北】繼續得以參賽。1983年，中國橋牌協會CCBA組隊以中國代表隊身份參加【遠東杯比賽】，正式踏入了世界賽場，並逐漸發展成世界橋牌運動的勁旅..... From that fateful beginning back in 1980, HKCBA now runs the “Hong Kong Intercity Bridge Championships” every year except the years overlapping the PABF Championship (now APBF) or the PABF Congress. The power of bridge connects people, players and enthusiasts alike from all walks of life and the Hong Kong Intercity Championships has stood its place in the annals of bridge happenings thanks to all the support from all our friends throughout the years. 自此之後，香港橋牌協會HKCBA基本上每年都會舉辦【香港城市橋牌錦標賽】，一張小小的桌子、一副普通的紙牌，卻聯繫著大家溫暖的心，牽動著許多許多的思緒，橋牌雖小，卻也可以縮短最遠的距離，無論是地域或人心。感謝那些在這段路程上支持及幫助過的朋友及力量，感謝投入到這項事業的每一個人....